Charles Kilgour

Charles Kilgour leads the development of new program initiatives at Global Fishing Watch, providing strategic oversight on the execution of the organization’s strategy. Managing an international team of experts, Kilgour helps deliver impact through programmatic interventions pertaining to illegal and destructive fishing, biodiversity and small-scale fisheries.

Bringing 20 years of experience in fisheries governance, Kilgour began his career managing marine reserves for the U.K. and the Seychelles where, working in the field, he identified key challenges facing marine conservation. He then transitioned into fisheries management to tackle one of those issues—illegal and destructive fishing. Over the next 16 years, Kilgour served as a fisheries consultant to governments, international bodies, industry and fishing communities around the world to promote the development of sustainable fisheries and the monitoring, control and surveillance systems that support them. Working to incorporate big data analysis and remote sensing techniques into management approaches, Kilgour seeks to expand experts and policymakers’ understanding of what is happening on the ocean.

Kilgour earned an honors degree in ecology from the University of Plymouth.